New Les Mis Footage

[Rainbowhigh23]

Might be a free for all at the theater. Better to use the free ticket Tuesday at Clearview Cinemas.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Youtube took it down, so I need to reup.

[michellek45]

Clip of "A Heart Full Of Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SVFr56GR1mo

Gotta say I really love Amanda in this clip, though I feel like the lighting is really strange.

[NewYorkYankee2006]

where did you get this clip from and do you know if there are any more?

[michellek45]

It's from the official Les Miz YouTube. I'm pretty sure it's the only one as of right now, but if they released one, I'm sure they're going to release more.

[Fan2]

Usually closer to the release of movies studios release some clips so it looks like it may be starting now. Love that clip.

[Wynbish]

Kate was so menacing as Lady Macbeth

[Wynbish]

I love the caption on this one




"Comfort" as in "she 'bout to die, y'all"

[michellek45]

Semi-related note: Has anyone seen tickets for a midnight showing yet? The theaters in my hometown are selling tickets for Christmas Day, but no midnight showing. I was wondering if that was a weird Maryland quirk, or if they're not on sale for anyone yet.

[kyl3fong2]

There are no midnight showings for me either and I am from California.

[Owen22]

I sorta love Amanda's thin reedy soprano...I dunno...it seems appropriate...and let's face it, Older Cosette is underwritten for anyway...how many songs does she actually sing?

[henrikegerman]

Teasers can be so easy to misconstrue, but since they are bombarding us with them, one can't help how one is struck by them. I really hope this is as good as the reports make it out to be, but is there anyone else who thinks some of it seems amateurish?

I had to replay "then make no sound" five times to get what AS was saying. And I, unlike much of the audience, have heard "A Heart Full of Love" (or as I heard Redmayne phrase it "a heart full of luf?") 500 times.

There seem to be more than a few over-underacted songschpiel moments as if there was a fear on the set of doing something as vulgar as simultaneously acting and singing. In "Who am I?" the line "I'm Jean Valjean" seems ruinously weak, at least out of context. Perhaps in the song's entirety it might work (one can't really judge too much from a teaser, but still, one can't help judging... provisionally). And, yes, I know the line is repeated more than once in the song so there might be a dynamic owning-it moment later on. Still....

At the risk of sounding completely inconsistent, there are some moments where the technique seems to be working magically. I love Redmayne's "I'm doing everything all wrong," a beat in which under-vocalizing makes perfect lyrical sense.

Crowe on the other hand sounds flat, perhaps not tonally flat, but leaden, dull, lifeless...... and amateurishly bad.

I'm trying to keep an open mind but given the hype and my expectations already being high as a Hooper fan, what I'm seeing looks - ok shoot me - mostly like crap.

[SporkGoddess]

Amanda Seyfried still sounds terrible to me. She has some beautiful high notes in the musical and it won't do her character any favors when Amanda Seyfried butchers them.

[AEA AGMA SM]

"Semi-related note: Has anyone seen tickets for a midnight showing yet? The theaters in my hometown are selling tickets for Christmas Day, but no midnight showing. I was wondering if that was a weird Maryland quirk, or if they're not on sale for anyone yet."

I would guess you are not going to find too many midnight showings for this one, considering that would mean you would not only have employees working on Christmas Day (which is obviously inevitable) but also very late night on Christmas Eve. I would imagine not a lot of theater owners/managers want to look like Mr. Scrooge making employees work all of those times.

[TheatreFan27]

They've added several more official clips as well, including:
On My Own - Les Mis Film

[jo]

>>>In "Who am I?" the line "I'm Jean Valjean" seems ruinously weak, at least out of context. Perhaps in the song's entirety it might work (one can't really judge too much from a teaser, but still, one can't help judging... provisionally). And, yes, I know the line is repeated more than once in the song so there might be a dynamic owning-it moment later on. Still....<<<

That scene where he sings "Who Am I" must be in the middle of the song ( which takes place in at least more than one setting) when Valjean is still vacillating about moral issues, deciding whether he should let things go and not save the man from being unjustly imprisoned or to be true to himself. I thought in that context that it was a fine acting and singing moment. Here he is wearing a shirt and vest...but there have been earlier footage showing him fully dressed ( with a coat/jacket) as he marches into the courtroom and tells the judge that he is Valjean, # 24601! ...There have also been on-set reports about how brilliantly he sings out the numerals.

True - teasers and trailers can take things out of context, especially if one is familiar with the original material on which the movie is based. In this case, Hooper may have decided to make a different directorial choice on how to film that iconic song!

[GlindatheGood22]

I didn't know Kate Fleetwood was in this. Love her.

[michellek45]

My biggest problem with these clips is the sound mixing. I pray that these are not the final edits, because wow, it does not sound good at all, especially in "Who Am I?" and "At the End Of the Day." Les Miz is not just about singers; it's about an orchestra, too. And the way things are currently mixed, it sounds like the singers are just sort of thrown on top of the orchestra instead of blending with it, and then, in addition to that, they put the volume of the orchestra way low and the singers way high. You can hardly even tell the difference between piano and forte. Honestly the mixing here is worrying me even more than Russel Crowe's singing at this point.

Edited to say: I really did like the interpretations of the songs by the singers, including the debated "I'm Jean Valjean" line. I think it sounds like he's affirming it to himself- in the show, he affirms it to the whole courtroom, I believe, so it makes since for him to be shouting it out. When he's by himself in his bedroom? Not so much. I like Hugh's take on it. Except for that sound mixing.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

I think for the most part it all sounds pretty good. I'd image the mix between vocals and music will sound better in the cinema, regardless of whether or not those clips are final or not.

Actually with all I've been hearing, Russell Crowe sounds better than I expected. Granted, it's not one of his big numbers, but I think I'll be fine with voice throughout.

I do agree Seyfriend sounds a little thin, especially at the beginnings of phrases, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. And this isn't a critique, but mostly just an observation - they (especially in "A Heart Full of Love") seem to be doing a lot of backphrasing (I think that's the right term? I learned on here).

So, in the clips posted, do people really see the big deep importance of them singing live? I'm not sure I can say I do. Perhaps it will feel more transcendent on screen and/or upon seeing the whole thing, but I didn't really go "Wow, the live singing really makes a difference!" If anything, I thought it made the women in in "At the End of the Day" sound pretty thin and breathless (which of course could have been a conscious choice).

But all that said, I got nothing but excitement for this.

[My Oh My]

I'm probably alone in my opinion that Tracy Shayne was good as Cosette on the CSR. I'll admit that Shayne did jar the senses at first, but only because I felt she briefly over-reached the little girl voice. But that literally lasts a few seconds. Some don't like her rapid vibrato, and others simply think she sounds shrill. I personally very much enjoy her and the delicate colors she infuses her vocals with.

As for Cosette, I'm surprised at all the dismissive words said about her. Cosette isn't a nobody, she is the reason for so many people's life-changing sacrifices and it all comes from love. She reflects this in her trusting and sincere love for Marius. Her loving nature is a direct result of her upbringing with Valjean, who loves her as his own, and through that love, Valjean has effectively halted the vicious wheel set in motion by the Thenardiers.

No, Cosette isn't the most dramatic, tragic role. But to say she is a nobody, even as she unintentionally shapes and molds the very story we are witnessing by virtue of her innocence, is missing a vital thread that runs through and eventually comes full circle. I actually LOVE that she is the face of the novel and the musical, and now the film. That expression on her face says it all, and when she's finally free and has found that freedom in love at the end, as we see some of those who helped her reach that end standing there boldly still wearing their humble garb and still sporting dirty faces but glowing in brilliant light, as they ask the audience directly if they'd like to take the torch and continue the fight for a better world, well, I don't know how anyone can NOT fall apart and be moved to tears. XD

And I don't know how, after all that, anyone can think of Cosette as a nobody.

[eatlasagna]

just watched the Javert clip... I'm OK with Russell Crowe... but that lyric change is one I'm going to have to get used to

[Fan2]

There's lyric changes in a few of the songs.

[CATSNYrevival]

Why are they all talk singing?

[Fire and Music]

I want to love Amanda Seyfried so badly, but I can't get past that awful Snow White vibrato. Other than that, this movie looks really promising, far beyond my expectations, so I'm excited. :)

[kyl3fong2]

I was skeptical about Russell Crowe as well too, but after watching this clip I'm fine with him now too.

LOVE Hathaway's acting in the "At The End Of The Day" clip, and I actually like how Hugh whispers "I'm Jean Valjean."

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